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China develops record-breaking 600kph maglev trains

By Quan Li (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-08-02 17:31

Maglev trains that reach a world record breaking speed of 600 kilometers per hour are being developed in China, the Beijing Times reported Monday.

The research, backed up by the theory of the vacuum magnetic suspension train, is being conducted by a state key laboratory research team of Southwest Jiaotong University, said the report. "The speed can be reached by making vacuum pipelines for maglev trains to run through, with no air resistance," said Shen Zhiyun, a member of the research team and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The new technology will use less steel than a normal train and is expected to be put into operation after ten years, says Zhang Yaoping, a member of the research team, adding that the application also depends on the decision of the Ministry of Railways.

Currently, the high speed trains connecting the cities of Guangzhou and Wuhan travel at an average speed of 350 kilometres an hour.